POMP AND POWER MAKES ALL TO WIN CONCORDE CUP

Jockey Grant Van Niekerk produced a finely judged ride when he won Saturday’s G2 Concorde Cup (1600m) at Kenilworth aboard the Justin Snaith trained Pomp And Power, a son of Vercingetorix (pictured).

The latter, winner of the G3 Goals And Gallops Langerman as a two-year-old, was overlooked in the betting for Saturday’s R175 000 feature for three-year-olds after finishing seventh in the G3 Cape Classic on his three-year-old debut.

However, Van Niekerk shone on the Vercingetorix gelding, and wasted no time in taking Pomp And Power to the front in the 2021 Concorde Cup.

Favoured Cosmic Highway bought up the rear of the Concorde Cup field as the field turned for home, but jockey Keagan De Melo appeared to have plenty under him, as the favourite looked to be travelling smoothly.

Pomp And Power kept finding more, as the gelding dug down in front, and with 200m left to run, the favourite had a fight on his hands.

Van Niekerk kept the Snaith trained three-year-old going, with Pomp And Power going on to score by a long neck. Cosmic Highway, who appeared to have every chance in second, finished a length and a half clear of top weight, and last season’s Equus Champion, Good Traveller, back in third.

Now a winner off four of six starts, Pomp And Power won the Concorde Cup in a time of 98.28 seconds.

The gelding was a R250 000 buy from Maine Chance Farms’ 2020 National Yearling Sale, and he is one of 14 stakes winners for former Equus Champion, and G1 Jebel Hatta winner, Vercingetorix.

Pomp And Power is out of the Candy Stripes mare Peru -who produced triple graded stakes winner, and G1 Vodacom Durban July runner up, Punta Arenas to a cover by Vercingetorix’s own sire Silvano.